Monday, March 19, 2007

As I write this, I am asking God to give me the words to talk to one person and make a difference. I feel that God answered my question by leading me into the words that it is not all about the money, but it's more about the heart.

Yes, the tithing that we do as believers is important but we have been given stewardship over so much more than just that. The dictionary defines stewardship as "management of of that which we have been entrusted." So, as believers, what have we been entrusted with? We have been entrusted with the blessings of finance, the blessing of body, the blessing of home, and the blessings of the heart.

A great passion of mine is my children. I consider myself a steward of their hearts. What does that mean, to steward a heart? That means, that as their parent it is my job to nuture, to protect, to define, to educate, to shore-up, to build-up, their hearts and prepare them for adulthood. Basically, I am a steward of their developing spirit and steward of the beginning of their life in the Lord. As parents, we must take our role seriously in providing our children with the foundation that they will need as adults.

To make them strong adults we must be strong adults. That means that they must hear the word no - no you can't play playstation, no you can't go to his house with his parents not home, no you will not play sports with your grades like that. The other words that your children have to hear multiple times a day is "I love you" - I love you when you are silly, I love you when you are annoying, I love you when you screw up. A book that I read to my first born still resonates in my heart "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be.

Families need to return to the ways of the past - time playing outdoors, time eating dinner together, family time, etc. Our youth are our future and they cannot be lost. May the Lord continue to steward your heart as He trusts you to steward the hearts of those He has entrusted to you.